December 26, 2024
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Kaneland comes up just short at Class 1A No 1-ranked Belleville Althoff

Althoff scores fourth-quarter TD to rally for 14-10 win

By Joshua Welge
Carter Grabowski

Carter Grabowski (Lenny Eisele)

Kaneland made a nearly five-hour drive south Saturday to take on Class 1A’s No. 1-ranked Belleville Althoff. The Knights passed St. Louis’ Gateway Arch on their way into town.

They just missed leaving with a huge win.

Unbeaten Althoff scored a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter, and held on to beat Kaneland 14-10 in a nonconference regular season finale.

Kaneland (5-4) led 10-7 at halftime and into the fourth quarter. Sam Bruno kicked a field goal for the Knights in the first quarter. Chase Kruckenberg threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to Carter Grabowski in the second.

“I thought our kids came to play,” Kaneland coach Mike Thorgesen said. “It was a road game, we were five hours in a bus and I don’t think a lot of people gave us a chance. Belleville is a pretty darn good team regardless of class. I thought our kids fought and put themselves in a position to win. We just came up a little bit short.”

Althoff played without senior running back Dierre Hill, an Oregon recruit and one of the state’s top prospects in the Class of 2025.

But the roster still has plenty of talent without him.

“Didn’t feel like a 1A football team,” Thorgesen said. “The game plan we had was him playing. They had a lot of talented players but that kid is a special player.”

Kaneland had the ball a few times in the fourth quarter with a shot at the win, the last coming with just over a minute to go at midfield. A big play was called back on a holding penalty, and the Knights ran out of time.

Still, their Week 8 win over La Salle-Peru gave the Knights the knowledge they would almost certainly be in the playoffs, win or lose Saturday. And Kaneland will make the playoffs at 5-4.

“If we came in 4-4, lose the way we did it would have been devastating,” Thorgesen said. “You never want to lose any game, but the fact that our ticket was punched the kids could just go out and play their best. I thought our kids put forth a great effort. Althoff just has some special players.”